Popcorn popping machines for concession stand, restaurant or home use are well known. Generally, such popping machines have a cabinet or case in which the popcorn is both cooked and stored. The unpopped corn (kernels) are typically loaded into a kettle suspended from the top of the popcorn case, combined with cooking oil and heated. The kettle has electrical heating elements to heat the oil and corn kernels and thereby effect popping of the kernels. As the popcorn fills the kettle, an initial portion of the popcorn discharges into the popcorn case and the remainder is subsequently dumped. An exhaust blower is used to vent the interior of the case. The oil is typically stored in a solid form and liquified by a heating element prior to the time the oil is needed.
In popcorn machines known presently, the various parts of the machine such as oil injection, kettle heating and exhaust systems are activated manually. Thus, a user must correctly add popcorn, oil, activate the kettle heat, and turn off the kettle heat when use of the apparatus is no longer desired. Previously, thermostats have been used to control kettle heat at an operating temperature of around 500.degree. F. and to prevent the cooking kettle from reaching unacceptably high temperatures. Further, with manual operations the user is subject to injury from any direct contact with hot oil, kettle or heating elements.
In order to reduce the possibility of user injury and to achieve consistently reproducible corn popping the present invention provides an operation system in combination with a popcorn machine including a case for holding popped corn kernels, an electrically heated popcorn kettle located within the case, a corn agitator positioned within the kettle to stir corn during heating, means for exhausting air from the case and an oil pump operably connected to a source of popping oil to supply oil to the popcorn kettle. The machine operation system includes electrical circuitry for connecting the kettle, agitator, exhaust means and oil pump to a source of electricity. The machine system also includes a microprocessor operably connected to the electrical circuitry to programmable control operation of the kettle, agitator, exhaust means and oil pump during a cooking cycle.